Device for use in the manufacture of ornamental fabrics



DEVICE FOR USE INv THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS June 26, 1934. D. H. VCHASON 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 4. 1953 Daniel H Uhason June 26, 1934. D. H. CHASON MENTAL FABRICS DEVICE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNA Filed Jan. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwwenko?) Daniel H. Chason Patented June 26, 1934" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS Application January 4, 193a, Serial No. 650,073

This invention relates to devices for use in the manufacture of ornamental fabrics, particularly pile fabrics, fringed fabrics and the like, to be used, for instance, as coverings, such as floor coverings, cushion covers, table covers and the like.

It is already known to wind yarn or like material in closely spaced loops around a forked member or bar, and to secure the wound yarn to a base fabric by means of a line of stitches formed in the gap between the prongs of the fork, whereupon the loops may be cut to form tufts, it being understood that in the production of floor coverings and the like such tufts will be formed in more or less closely spaced rows- According to the invention, for the production of fabrics resembling so-ealled rya-fabrics, which are products of a domestic industry in Finland, the forked member is constituted by a bifurcated bar having prongs of unequal widths, the line of stitches being thus formed close to the inner edge of the narrow prong, so that each loop comprises a long portion on one side of the line of stitches and a short portion on the other side.

With the use of this device, rows of loops may be stitched to a base fabric in overlapping relation, the short portions of the loops of one row being overlapped by the tufts formed by cutting .the longer portions of the loops of an adjoining row.

According to a secondary feature of the invention, the wider prong is provided with a cutting edge, preferably by being fitted with a removable knife-blade at or near one end.

Desirably aguard for shielding the fingers of the operator is provided for the cutting edge and is preferably removably fitted to the wider prong along with the knife-blade.

With this construction, by the act of removing the bifurcated bar from the loops after the stitchcordance with a given pattern, yarns of differentcolour and of different lengths may be wound successively on the bifurcated bar in accordance with directions or in accordance with a chart which may be marked on the base fabric.

, For spacing the prongs of the fork, so as to prevent the collapse of the fork or distortion of ing operation, the loops are evenly cut and an' the prongs when wrapped by the yarn, there is preferably provided a distance piece or spacer which is preferably pivoted to the wider prong and is engageable with the narrow prong.

To enable longer loops to be formed for 'fringing and other decorative purposes one or more extension bars may be detachably secured to the wider prong of the fork, either directly or in section on the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4

is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig.

1. Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, perspective views of the detachable knife and guard elements of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. '7 is a plan view of the fork member from which the knife and guard elements have been removed. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line 88, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig.

7 with an extension bar attached. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the device shown in Fig. 9 modified to detachably receive the knife and guard elements of Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 7 with two extension bars attached thereto in series additive relation. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary edge view of one of the extension bars and Fig. 13 is a section on the line 13-13, Fig. 11.

- The device illustrated in Figs. 1 to -6 inclusive comprises a thin fiat bar or strip of spring metal which is bifurcated to form prongs l and 2 separated by a longitudinal stitch-receiving gap 3; the prong 1 being considerably wider than the prong 2. The wider-prong is formed at its free end with a hole 4 through which is looped a thin metal strip 5 constituting a distance piece the free ends of the legs of which are preferably brought together and riveted at 6. The loop 5 is preferably flattened to the form shown in Figs. 4 and 8 andits legs are preferably shaped to provide an opening 7 which resiliently or frictionaiiy fits over and embraces the free end of the narrow prong 2 to hold it properly spaced from and parallel to the prong 1 when the usual winding of yarn or the like is applied thereto. I Detachably fitted to the wider prong 1 are the knife and guard elements of Figs. 5 and 6, re- 11o to overlap the locking engagement spectively. The guard element may be made of thin sheet metal having a shank 9 and U-shaped guard portion 10 joined at its lower edge by the neck 11 to one edge of the shank 9. Rising from the shank 9 are a headed stud 12 and two positioning pins 13. The shank 9 is formed at one end with an upturned lip 14 affording a locking shoulder and at its opposite end with a folded back loop or hook 15. The knife 16 is made of thin steel or safety razor blade stock and is formed with a razor edge 1'7, two positioning apertures .18 and a central clearance aperture 19. The two positioning apertures 18 fit upon the positioning pins 13 of the guard-shank 9. The clearance aperture 19 is large enough to admit the head of 'the stud 12.

The wider prong 1 of the forked member is formed near its free end with a key-hole slot 20 to receive the headed stud 12 and with two straight slots 21 to receive the positioning pins 13 which have rounded ends as shown in Fig. 3. The prong 1 is further formed with a straight slot 22 to receivethe hook 15 which is adapted to overlie the prong 1 so as to normally prevent separation of the inner end of the guard-shank 9 from the prong 1.

To assemble the device, the knife 16v is first laid upon the guard-shank 9 with the pins '13 and headed stud 12 projecting through the apertures 18 and 19 in the knife 16 and with the razor edge 1'7 embraced within the U-shaped guard portion 10 and inclined toward the U- shaped guard portion from the hooked end 15 of the guard-shank 9. The apertured end of.

the prong 1 of the fork is then laid upon the assembled knife and guard with the headed stud 12 projecting through the key-hole slot 20 and with the hook 15 projecting through the aperture 22. The prong 1 is now slipped endwise relative to the knife and guard to shift the narrow portion of the keyhole slot 20 under the head of the stud 12 and to cause the hook 15 prong 1 at one end of the slot 22. At the end of this relative movement the free end of the prong 1 springs downwardly into with the lip 14, as shown in Fig. 3, and prevents accidental displacement of the knife and guard from operative position upon the prong 1.

To disassemble the parts it is merely necessary to first exert a light bending pressure upon the roughened end-portion 23 of the guard portion 10 to carry the lip 14 below and disengage it .from the free end of the prong 1, whereupon the. guard and knife may be slipped in a direction to carry the headed stud 12 into the enlarged end of the key-hole slot 20 and to disengage the hook 15 moval of the knife and guard.

In the use of the device, wool or other suitable yam or like material is wound spirally, as at 24, Fig. 1, around the fork member commencing preferably at or near the hook 15. The wool may be wound along the whole length of the blade, or if different colored wools are being used, sufficient of each color to cover the portion of the-pattern being worked, and the knife end of the device is placed under the presser-foot of a sewing machine, upon a suitable lining or backing 25 and stitched thereto by a line of stitches 26 in the gap 3. When the available length of yarn 24 on the fork has been sewn, the fork is partially withdrawn, preferably leaving from five to ten loops on the fork to keep the correct line and position. Further wool is from the prong 1 for rethen wound on the fork and pushed down evenly toward the loops still remaining on the fork, the work being continued in this manner to the end of the row being worked.

It will be understood that as the fork is being withdrawmthe yarn loops slip readily over the shank 9 and hook l5 and over the rounded ends of the pins 12 and 13, without impedance or danger of being snagged by any of these parts, and are severed with a draw-cut by .the razor edge 17. The spacer 5 is pushed to its open or dotted line position, Fig. 1, by the initial stitches of the seam 26. Being permanently attached to the prong 1, the distance piece 5 cannot be misthe distance piece 5 and its permanent attachment to the wider prong 1, instead of the narrower prong 2, favors unimpeded stripping of the sewed loops thereover, as it obviously cannot catch the loops. The longer portions of the loops at one side of the line of stitches in the gap 3 will expand more readily to slip over the distance piece 5 on the wider prong 1 than would the shorter portions of such loops around the narrower prong 2, were the distance piece 5 pivoted to the narrower prong.

For certain classes of work it is desirable to increase the size of the loops around the device. This may be readily accomplished by attaching to the prong 1 a widthwise extension bar 27 of any desired width, such as shown in Fig. 9. Such a bar 27 may be provided at one end with a headed stud 28 received in the key-hole slot 20 and at the other end with a headed stud 28' received in a second key-hole slot 20' in the fork. The bar 27 is also preferably formed with key-hole slots 29, 29' for reception of the headed studs 30, 30 of a second extension bar 31, Figs. 11 and 13, which may be added to the fork, in series with the extension bar 27, to still further increase the width of the device, as may be desirable for certain fringing operations. By providing a set of extension bars of different widths, the device may be built out by the use of such bars, either singly or in series, to practically any desired width within the total range provided.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10, the exten- 130 -sion bar 27 is provided with a series of apertures 22*, 21*, 20*, like the respective apertures 22, 21, 20 in the prong 1, to permit of the attachment thereto of the knife 16 the productionof longer cut loops.

The legs 2'? of the extension bars which carry the headed studs are preferably dished slightly, as shown in Fig. 12, to cause such legs to frictionally engage the part to which they are attached, and prevent accidental displacement thereof from operative position.

It will be observed that the device may be used either with or without the knife and guard to form either cut or uncut loops of various desiredlengths; there being no part of the device under any condition of use to-snag the yarn during the stripping operation or to impede the free and easy stripping of the yarn from the device following a sewing operation.

and guard 10 for Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:-

l. A device of the class described comprising, a flat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, and a distance piece narrower than and pivotally mounted at the free end of one of said prongs and engageable with the other prong by a swinging movement about its pivot.

2. A device of the class described comprising, a fiat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, and a distance piece pivotally mounted at the free end of the wider of said prongs and engageable with the narrower prong by a swinging movement about its pivot.

3. A device of the class described comprising, a fiat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, and a distance piece pivotally mounted at the free end of the wider of said prongs to swing from an open position in line with said wider prong to a closed position in engagement with the narrower prong.

4. A device of the class described comprising, a flat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, one of said prongs being formed adjacent its free end with an aperture, and a distance piece comprising a thin strip of metal looped through said aperture and adapted to frictionally engage the other prong.

5. A device of the class described comprising, a flat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, one of said prongs being formed adjacent its free end with an aperture, and a distance piece comprising a thin strip of metal passing through said aperture and bent centrally of its length back upon itself to form juxtaposed legs, said legs being shaped to embrace the other of saidprongs.

6. A device of the class described comprising a flat loop-forming member, a knife-guard having a flat shank detachably connected to said member, and a knife-blade interposed between said member and said knife-guard shank.

'7. A device of the class described comprising a flat forked member having two prongs separated by a gap, a knife-guard having a flat shank detachably connected to, one of said prongs, and a knife-blade interposed between said last-mentioned prong and said knife-guard shank, said shank having positioning pins thereon for holding said knife-blade against slippage relative thereto.

8. A device of the class described comprising a flat loop-forming bar provided adjacent one end with apertures, and knife and guard members detachably connected to said bar by means pass ng through said aperture; said guard member being bent to embrace the cutting edge of the, knife member.

9. A device of the class described comprising a flat resilient loop-forming bar having adjacent one of its ends a key-hole slot, a knife-guard having a fiat shank provided with a headed stud engaging said key-hole slot, a knife interposed between said shank and bar, and a locking lip on said shank engaging the free end of said bar.

10. A device of the class described comprising a flat resilient member having a plurality of slots therein, a knife-guard having a flat shank formed between its ends with a headed stud in detachable engagement with said member through one of said slots and at its'inner end with a reversely bent hook passing through another'of said slots and engaging said member, and a knife-blade clamped between said shank and member.

11. A device of the class described comprising a fiat resilient member having a pluralityof slots therein, a knife -guard' having a flat shank formed between its ends with a headed stud in detachable engagement with said member through one of said slots and at its inner end with a reversely bent hook passing through another of said slots and engaging said member, and a knife-blade clamped between said shank and member, said shank having at its outer end an upturned locking lip in engagement with the free end of said member.

12. A device of the class described comprising, a fiat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, a widthwise extension bar detachably connected to one of said prongs, and knife and guard elements detachably connected to said extension bar.

13. A device of the class described comprising, a fiat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, said member being formed with a plurality of key-hole slots, and a widthwise extension bar for one of said prongs having a plurality of headed studs in detachable engagement with said member through said keyhole slots. 14. A device of the class described comprising, a loop-forming bar, a widthwise extension bar paralleling and detachably connected to said first mentioned bar, and a knife on said widthwise extension bar.

'15. A device of the class described comprising, a loop-forming bar having a handle-forming portion at one end, a widthwise extension bar paralleling and detachably connected to said first mentioned bar, and a knife on the end of said widthwise extension bar remote from the handle-forming portion of said loop-forming bar.

16. A device of the class described comprising, a fiat forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap, means at the free ends of said rongs for holding them spaced apart, said means being disconnectible from at least one of said prongs to open one end of said gap, and means for increasing the effective width of one of said prongs while maintaining constant the width of said gap.

17. A device of the class described comprising, a fiat'forked member having two prongs separated by a stitch-receiving gap permanently closed at one end, openable means for closing the other end of said gap, and a widthwise extension bar for one of said prongs detachably connected to said forked member.

18. A device of the class described, comprising a flat loop-forming member, a knife and a knife-guard adjacent to one end of said member, and common means for securing said knife and said knife-guardto said member.

19. A device of the class described comprising a forked member having two prongs separated by an open-ended stitch-receiving gap, and means for increasing the effective width of one of said prongs while maintaining constant the width of said gap.

20. A device of the class described comprising a forked member having two prongs separated by an open-ended stitch-receiving gap, and a bar detachably connected to said forked member and having an outside edge disposed at a greater distance from said gap than the distance from said gap to the outside edge of the adjacent prong.

DANIEL H. CHASON. 

